Marigolds and Lilies
by Miss Yaoi Hands
Summary: Sometimes, bad friends are better than none at all. Lily was having these horrible nightmares in the midst of her loneliness but the more time she spent with her new friends they began to fade. Yet, she can't shake the feeling of something dark looming over her. OC/Bowers Gang Friendship To Eventual Romance. (Rated T for now)
1. August 15th 1988

**Marigolds and Lilies**

_Sometimes, bad friends are better than no friends at all. At least, that is what she believed. That strangling loneliness brought nightmares she had never experienced until she moved to Derry, Maine. Her friends are what kept them away. When the are gone… IT appears. _

* * *

"_Could you please speak into the microphone_? _Give your first and last name and then you can tell me a little about yourself_."

"Liliana Martinez… But my friends call me 'Lily'. I'm sixteen and I go to Derry High School."

"_Ms. Martinez, could you tell me what you were doing inside the old house of 29 Neibolt Street on September 27, 1989?_"

"I… was looking for my friend. I saw him go in… and he never came back out."

"_And this friend is… Henry Bowers?"_

"Yes, sir."

"_Ms. Martinez, are you aware your friend has been charged with the murder of his own father and the missing children of Derry? Are these the __**friends **__you're surrounding yourself with?_"

"Sometimes, having bad friends is better than having no friends at all."

* * *

Chapter One: August 15th 1988

The heat of the summer was still lingering in the air as Lily made her way to school. Even while it was still hot, the leaves of trees were beginning to turn yellow. Her backpack was empty but she still felt this weight dragging her down as she walked. Her brown eyes shot around, spotting more kids her age appear as she came closer to her school. Folded in her hand was her school schedule. She had memorized where her classes were already but she brought it along in case she had forgotten.

As she approached the old brick building, Lily heard the unmistakable sound of an engine behind her. Her body tended in anger, a usual response to that familiar rumble. She looked over her shoulder and spotted an infamous blue Trans Am barreling down the road. Lily couldn't help but notice it picked up pace when other teens were trying to cross the road. She frowned, knowing damn well who was in that car. Just like clockwork, a few arms threw trash at unsuspecting kids on the sidewalk, including Lily herself. Her foot narrowly dodged a wet wad of paper. Why was this whole paper wet? She didn't want to know— but the liquid was yellow. She looked up and saw a few boys snickering at her before the car sped up again.

Lily looked down at the wad of paper again. She saw a few smudged letters in the mess of the dripping wetness. _H, E, B, R_, and _S_. That's all she could make out but the arrangement made sense. Of course it was _him_ that threw it at her.

"Bowers, you're an asshole." Lily sighed to herself as she continued her way to school.

Kids crowded the front entrance, making it hard for her to even get close to the stairs. She rolled her eyes, knowing she would have to go around the entire building. The west entrance was usually empty but it was completely far from her homeroom. Her worn sneakers hopped up the steps and stopped at the top. She pulled her class schedule from her front pocket. As she read along the notes she made on the side of the paper, she couldn't help but overhear a few conversations.

"_My summer was so exciting! Me and my family went to Grand Rapids._" One girl said.

"_Well, my parents let me go to Long Island with Delilah and her family."_ Said another as she wrapped her arm around the girl next to her. Lily frowned as she stared at the group of friends all laughing before walking towards her. They didn't seem to notice her as they brushed by her, continuing their conversation. One of the girls bumped right into Lily, knocking the paper out of her hand and then stepping on it. She waited for them to be out of earshot before she scoffed.

"_Lily, how did you spend your vacation?_" She asked herself in a mockingly peppy tone, "I sat in my room alone for almost a month. With my cat." Lily groaned when she remembered herself just lying in bed with her records continuously playing. She bent down to grab her schedule off the floor. As she leaned forward, she heard a drawn out whistle behind her. Her blood froze in her veins. She quickly straightened herself out before turning to see who was behind her.

Approaching her were the four boys she despised most in this garbage fire of a town. Henry Bowers and his band of mindless followers. He stood at the front of the pack, glaring right up at her from the bottom of the steps. He trotted up the stairs, getting uncomfortably close but she held her ground. She mirrored his disgusted expression right back at him.

"Out of the way, wetback." Henry sneered.

Lily hated that word. She felt her fist ball up at her side. Liliana Martinez wasn't originally from Derry. She moved to the small town a few years ago with her mother from Jacksonville, Florida. There the population of mixed races was abundant but here in Derry every face was pale. Even Jacksonville had their hate but Lily never experienced it directly. Her and her mother were the only Hispanic people in the whole town and certain people made it their mission to make them feel like they didn't belong. Of course, Lily could have fit in with these people since she was more on the fair side but her mother couldn't. Her golden-copper skin and thick black hair stood out like a sore thumb. But her mother never paid attention to the hate and Lily learned to stand up to it.

"Make me." Lily challenged.

The boys behind their leader seemed to stiffen but Bowers just smirked. He scoffed right in her face, his icy blue eyes scanning over her. He then noticed the folded paper in her hands. Henry yanked it from her grasp, opened it up, and read what was inside. Turning his attention back to the dark brown-haired girl in front of him, his lips curled into a snarky grin. The school bell blared through the halls behind them, alerting them class was to begin soon. Bowers crumpled Lily's schedule in his fist before throwing it at her.

"See you in homeroom, wetback." He spat.

Henry shoved past her, knocking her shoulder harshly with his own. She stood there defiantly while the three other boys followed their dear leader. Reginald "Belch" Huggins did what he did best in her ear. His loud and awfully smelly burp blew back loose strands of her hair. Her eyes followed his laughter until the next teen came closer.

As proud as she would to be staring at this gangly boy, she couldn't help but flinch under his unpleasantly long gaze. Patrick Hockstetter. His dark eyes were shaded underneath his long black hair and he was wearing the most obnoxious grin Lily had ever seen. His tongue licked his lips as his gaze shifted down her body, making her cross her arms over her chest. He had always creeped her out ever since she moved to Derry in middle school. Patrick just had an aura that radiated sinister. She leaned away as Patrick came close to her ear.

"I'd love to see you bend over more often," Patrick snickered before hurrying off to find Henry. His words twisted her gut in the most uncomfortable sense. Their underlying purpose bubbles in her mind, making Lily shake her head. Then her eyes spotted the last teen still lingering at the bottom of the stairs. He had his hands shoved deep in his pockets while he looked up at her.

"Got something to say, Criss?" She asked coldly.

Victor Criss, arguably the least annoying member of Bowers' gang. Lily would like to think he had more morals than the other boys but she could never really tell. He would partake in the bullying and teasing of other students… but not when it came to her. Victor would stand in the back of the group and watch as his friends belittled and harrassed Lily. She didn't understand it. She had witnessed him pestering other female students when Bowers did but never with her.

The blond boy slowly walked up the steps, shifting his gaze from Lily to the hallway behind her. She held her ground when he stood beside her. Victor opened his mouth to say something but the school bell blared over his voice. Lily sighed before turning on her heel— she was late for her first class. However, she wasn't too thrilled to get there knowing Bowers was waiting to make her day even more of a mess. The brown haired girl glanced over her shoulder, seeing Victor still standing there with his hands in his pockets.

* * *

As Lily hurried down the hall to the last door, she silently hoped no one would notice her being late. She hunched her shoulders, gaining the courage to walk through the door. She could already hear the teacher talking but she stopped when she noticed Lily.

"You're late." The older woman stated.

"Y-Yeah. I know." Her eyes glanced around the room, seeing everyone staring blankly at her.

"Well, find a seat."

Lily sighed, feeling uneasy while looking for an empty desk. Her brown eyes spotted one next to Bowers sitting directly in the back by the window. The long haired teen was smirking directly at her. There were two available spots: one beside Henry and one just in front of him. He nodded to the desk in front of him with a toothy grin. Of course the only empty seats in the entire room was around the school's bully.

"Oh, fuck no." She whispered. Just then, she heard footsteps behind her. Seeing who it was, Lily almost gasped. It was Victor Criss. He glanced between her and the empty seats, an uncertain expression appearing on his face. Lily kept her attention on him. She didn't realize he had blue eyes until now. Victor silently stared back at her, making her gut tie into knots.

That was a feeling she's never experienced before.

"Sit down, you two!" The teacher snapped.

Lily watched Victor move first, hurrying to take a seat. When she thought he was going to take the spot beside Henry, he kept walking until he was in his row. The blond teen sat in the chair in front of his friend. Lily slowly approached the empty desk, seeing Henry give Victor a scowl.

"Now that everyone is… situated, let's take attendance." The older woman said from the front of the room. She adjusted her glasses before focusing on the clipboard in her old hands. Lily tuned her out as she called out other student's names.

This day had started off so strange. Yet, Lily knew it probably could get worse, given she shared this class with two of the boys that annoyed her the most. From the corner of her eye, she saw Henry poking Victor to get his attention. The blond turned in his seat, slightly facing Lily but far enough to where he could see Henry.

"Why were you late?" Henry asked Victor.

Lily kept her eyes forward but listened in on them. She was curious too. When he was quiet for a few seconds, the girl glanced over and saw him looking right at her. That same knotted feeling appeared in her stomach again, making her turn away.

"I had to piss." Victor finally answered.

"Oh…" Henry said, bored. "You're still up for after school, right?"

"Yeah."

* * *

The halls began to flood with students when the final bell rang for the day. Lily took her time shoving her belongings into her backpack. She internally groaned when she felt it's weight as she picked it up. As she joined the crowds in the hallway, the teen hears commotion coming from up ahead.

"Knock it off, Bowers!"

Great. Now Lily had to go around whatever mess Henry was creating. She turned, splitting the crowd as she shoved down in the opposite direction. Luckily, she needed to make a stop at her locker anyway. At the far corner of the hallway, she saw a familiar figure standing near the empty end. The girl rolled her eyes, recognizing his camouflage pants and dirty combat boots. Victor was busy shifting through his own locker and Lily managed to slip by him.

She quickly spun the knob of her lock and yanked it down until it popped open. Lily heard Victor close his locker and felt him look over at her. She pretended not to notice while slipping her backpack off one shoulder. She prayed silently for him to leave as she switched out her textbooks with a new notebooks. But to her distress, he walked over to her. She hid her scowl behind her locker door and ignored him when he came close.

"Hey," he greeted.

Lily remained silent as she zipped up her backpack. From the corner of her eye, she noticed him lean against the lockers. He was waiting for her. Lily sighed as she slightly closed the locker door so she could look at him. She knew the only way to get him to leave was to talk to him. His face was emotionless but he seemed serious as usual. Lily could never really tell what he was thinking.

"Hey," she said back.

"Don't hang around town square, today." Victor warned, "We're gonna be there."

Lily was caught off guard by his warning. Was he trying to trick her? She assumed he was being serious since he never messed with her— or even talked to her. This would be the longest conversation they've ever shared. Still, it was odd for him to even start. He was so loyal to Henry, why was he trying to keep her away? Maybe she could get more information out of him if she kept the conversation going.

"I wasn't planning on it…" Lily responded, "I actually have homework on the first day of school."

"Uh, good." Victor dropped his head, his long bangs hanging down over his face. Was he nervous? That was a reaction she never expected. He looked back at her, "I'll… see you tomorrow."

The blond teen turned and made his way down the now empty hallway, leaving Lily stunned. She watched him exit the front entrance as her mind tried to unscramble itself. Of course she didn't have plans to hang around the town square, it was in the opposite direction of her neighborhood. Yet, now she was curious. Something really wrong must have been planned if Victor came to warn her.

Lily snapped her locker shut. Throwing her backpack over her shoulder again, she turned to exit through the west entrance.

* * *

Lily noticed her mother's car in the driveway as she approached her house. She was surprised to see that she was even home. Her mother was a nurse and usually had very long shifts. Derry was a very "blue-collar" town and accidents tended to happen a lot. Lily opened the front door and saw her mother sitting on the couch, her legs crossed while she untied her shoes.

"Hello, sweetie." Her mother greeted.

"Hey, mom." Lily walked behind the couch to let her mom kiss her on the cheek. "Did you get to leave work at a reasonable time?"

"First time in a while." Her mother sighed, feeling the stress of work melt away when she kicked off her shoes. Lily smiled, she hadn't had her mom home with her in a long time. "How was the first day of sophomore year, Lil? Anything exciting happen?"

"Not really but a boy talked to me." Lily walked over into the dining room and placed her backpack on the floor. She usually did her homework up in her room but since her mother was home, she decided to do it downstairs. Lily then walked into the kitchen and opened up the cupboard for a glass.

"Oh?" Her mom smiled as she followed Lily. She leaned in the doorway while she watched her daughter pull a pitcher of juice from the refrigerator. "Does this boy have a name?"

"Uh, I don't remember his name." Lily lied.

Even as comfortable as she was sharing things with her mother, the young teen knew Victor had a reputation since he hung around Henry. Her mother has seen a few kids go to the hospital thanks to Bowers and his friends' beatings. If she knew Henry then she most likely knew who Victor Criss was. Ever since they moved to Derry, Ms. Martinez has been very wary of Lily. It most likely must have been what had happened to her father a few years ago.

Alejandro Martinez was a well respected man during his time in Jacksonville. He went to medical school and became a surgeon. After a few years of dating a nurse, Selena, he had a daughter with her. Lily doesn't really remember the night he didn't come home. All she could recall was her mother crying on the phone. Her father had been a target of a racial attack. Even if he was educated and a well-known surgeon, he was still Mexican. Selena moved her and Lily to Derry not too long after. Lily was always careful for her mother's sake.

She was all she had left.

"He just said hi to me."

"He must have been cute if you're still thinking about it, Liliana." Her mother joked.

_Cute_. Was that the right word for _Victor Criss_? Lily never really thought about his attractiveness since she was always focused on keeping up her guard around his friends. Yet, the more she thought about it, the more she noticed little things about him.

He had the same style as her: grunge vibes and rock t-shirts. Maybe if he wasn't aligned with Bowers, she could see them as friends. Lily had to admit his bleach blond hair looked good against his fair face. He wasn't the tallest teen but he had a few inches over her and she remembered looking into his pale blue eyes earlier that day. Lily felt a creeping hotness flush over her face. She opened the fridge and felt the cold air hit her skin. The girl hid her blush behind the door, hoping her mother didn't see.

"He's alright looking." She said, trying to distract herself by looking at the soon-to-expire milk.

"That's what I thought about your father when I first met him," Mrs. Martinez grinned. Her eyes wandered over to some empty pots left on the stove and she sighed. "I don't feel like making dinner tonight. Do you want to head down to the diner after you finish your homework?"

Lily froze as she remembered that the diner was on a street looking out to Town Square. Victor's warning blared through her head but her curiosity from before grew. She would be with her mother in the restaurant and not near the actual square itself. Lily assumed she would be safe there while hopefully getting a look at what Bowers was doing.

"Sure, mom." Lily answered as she shut the refrigerator door.

"Okay, sweetie. I'm going to change out of my scrubs."

* * *

"_A Derry Double Cheeseburger and an order of chicken tenders with a side of fries._" The waitress repeated as she wrote it down in her notepad. "Okay, looks good. Your food will be out shortly."

"Thank you," Mrs. Martinez said while sipping on her water.

Lily's eyes kept shooting to the window whenever her mother looked away. She hadn't seen any sign of Bowers or his crew when she got to the diner. She was starting to think they went home— it was nearing 8 o'clock on a school night. Not like she assume Bowers' dad cared what time he came home, but Lily knew the other boys had actual parents. It could have been possible they all just split up before curfew. Lily sighed, grabbing her silver utensils wrapped in a napkin.

"What's wrong, Lil?"

She really couldn't answer that. Was she feeling bummed that she didn't see those boys that made her life hell or was it because she missed Victor Criss? Her grip on the fork tightened as she dwelled more on it. Of course she wanted to see what he was warning her about. Not like they could touch her with Lily's mother around. The young teen just assumed he was picking on more kids. She had heard a rumor of a new kid moving into town. Nothing too exciting but she knew Henry wanted to assert his dominance with fresh meat running around. At least, that's what he did with her.

"It's nothin', mom. Just been thinking about those fries since I finished my homework," she lied.

"Alright, honey." Her mother smiled while turning her head to look out the window.

Lily saw her scowl at something in the distance. She turned to see what she was looking at and she nearly gasped. It was Bowers and his gang shoving an overweight boy around. Lily assumed this was the new kid since he looked very panicked and didn't know how to get away. Everyone that has dealt with Bowers' bullying knows to just fight back. As tough as Henry wanted to be, he still was afraid of retaliation. Lily looked away when she saw Victor trailing behind his three friends.

"Ugh, that Henry Bowers." She heard her mother sneer. "Just like his father…" Ms. Martinez looked over at Lily with a stern face, "I don't ever want to see you hanging around him or those other boys, Liliana!"

"Wouldn't catch me dead around Bowers, mom. He's a creep and so are his other loser friends."

"Good." Her face softened a little, "Have you made any friends at all?"

Her mother already knew the answer to that. Lily had just spent most of the summer in her room with her record player. The only time she left was to buy a new record or feed her cat. Moving to Derry during the crucial times between middle school and high school was a bit devastating to Lily's social life. She didn't get the chance to meet anyone new at the end of the middle school year and freshman year everyone had just ignored her. Lily knew this but she didn't care. In Jacksonville, she only had a few good friends. Yet, they never called or written to her since she moved away.

She was completely alone.

"I just want to focus on school," Lily answered. "Gotta have a good GPA if I want to get into Florida State University."

"Honey, I want you to try and make some friends this year." Her mother reached across the table to grasp her hand. She patted her daughter's smaller hand, "What about that boy you told me about?"

Lily looked back to the group of boys approaching their window. Henry was letting the fat kid run away for a second before he yanked him back by his shirt collar. Lily couldn't help but wince when he slipped over his own shoes. She watched them all with a frown as they laughed at the poor kid. Even if Victor didn't pester her, he still was a bully to other kids Henry saw as targets.

And that made her question what she was feeling all of a sudden.

"Vic— I mean, I don't know him that well."

"That's why you speak to him first." Her dark haired mother paused for a second as if she was contemplating on finishing her next thought. She gripped her hand firmly to get Lily's attention. "I mean it Liliana. Even if he becomes a boyfriend, at least I'll know you have a friend." Her mother stood up from the booth they were sitting at and adjusted her dress. "I'm going to use the restroom."

"O-Okay, mom…"

Starting a conversation with Victor Criss was easier said than done. He was more on the reserved side as it was. Lily wouldn't even know where to begin with him. Even if she did manage to get him to talk, her mother told her not to associate with him or his friends. But… she just said Lily had to talk to him. Her mother didn't need to know who he was.

Her mind began to wander, thinking of how to speak to him. She could open up with whatever metal band t-shirt he decided to wear. She looked down at her own worn _Queen_ shirt. Everyone like _Queen_. He already had shown interest in talking to her but how could she get to him with Bowers around? Liliana looked over at them again, seeing Bowers knock the kid into a parked car. She could hear his muffled scream from behind the thick glass window.

_Even if he becomes a boyfriend…_

"Ugh, a boyfriend?" Lily groaned as she reached for her cherry cola. She brought the cold glass to her lips. What would it be like having Victor Criss as a boyfriend? It would definitely bring some negative attention to Lily if anyone was to find out. She sipped her soda as she thought. Would he even be the boyfriend type? He was standoffish and, when he wanted to be, a sarcastic dick. Lily could not see him as the affectionate type she dreamed about. The teen girl sighed as she set her glass on the table.

The overweight kid managed to slip away from Henry while they were all laughing. He ran past the window, his stomping feet brought her out of her thoughts. Lily saw him get a few yards away before the four boys chased him down the sidewalk. Victor still trailed behind them since he was carrying the kid's heavy backpack. He stopped just in front of the window and he must have noticed Lily staring at him from the other side. The blond teen glanced over and seemed surprised to see her sitting there. For a few seconds, they just stared at each other until Lily gave him a small wave. The corner of his lip quivered as if he wanted to smile and he waved back at her.

"_Criss!_" They heard Henry shout, making Victor jump. He took one last look at Lily before he ran after his friends.

Lily felt that same heat creep over her face again. She folded her arms on the table and hid her face, her embarrassment taking full effect. As her jumbled thoughts jumped from one side of her mind to the other, she swore she felt this aching in her chest. It was unpleasant but she didn't hate it. It was like someone was pressing on her.

She was going to talk to Victor Criss tomorrow.

* * *

_Notes: Hello, I've never written anything for IT or even anything Stephen King before but I've always been a fan. Recently, before the reveal of Chapter 2, I've been binging Chapter 1. The more I watched the more I loved the Bowers Gang. Those cute little bullies. Dang. I was guilty of reading a few headcannons on tumblr and that inspired me to write something for them. _

_I started writing this about a month ago and it seems like it would be posted when IT Chapter 2 is out. I went to an early screening and I LOVED it. I'll definitely be watching it a few more times._

_If you like this story so far or even have a few questions, let me know. I'll be trying to update again soon. Victor probably won't be the only bully Lily will be interested in :^)_


	2. August 16th 1988

Chapter Two: August 16th 1988

* * *

Eyes.

_Yellow_ eyes.

That's all she could see in the darkness. Lily walked towards them, noticing she was barefoot and still in her pajamas. As she walked further into the darkness, her feet touched cold water. She jumped, a jolt of fear running through her.

Lily stopped when the eyes flickered. Did they blink? There was something not right about them. They watched her like a predator. She remained still when they focused on a little paper boy floating across the thin black water. Suddenly, a giant monstrous claw came out from the darkness and snatched the tiny boat. It nearly tore in half as the claw dragged it away towards the yellow eyes.

Lily ran in the other direction but she didn't feel herself moving, her bare feet were just gliding on the surface of the water. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard a primal roar. This wasn't like a tiger or a bear. This roar was malevolent, ancient, intelligent. It was letting Lily know that it was there. Whatever it was, it was watching.

Her eyes shot open, seeing the morning sun peeking through her curtains. The young teen felt sweat dripping off her skin, dampening her sheets. Her breath was shallow, held for a few seconds. Lily had nightmares before but this felt too real...

* * *

The early morning before school was quiet— the hysteria of the first day was gone and students made their way to class. Yet, Lily still had some time before the first bell rang so she walked to her locker. She held her literature book close to her chest as her mind ran one-hundred miles an hour. She was going to speak to Victor. As she walked up the steps to the school, Lily felt the weight of her doubt bringing her down.

Even if she planned everything in advance, she still knew things could change. For one, Bowers and his friends were known to skip school a lot. It was usually a peaceful day when they decided not to show up. Second, they could be all hanging around Victor when Lily scrounged up enough courage to talk to him. She knew that it would be impossible to get a word with them. Victor would probably ignore her.

While Lily made a turn down the hall, she spotted the familiar group of bullies loitering near a few lockers. She saw Victor standing between Belch and Patrick who were in the midst of their own conversation. He had his eyes narrowed at the floor with his arms crossed over his chest. He seemed to be deep in thought. Henry Bowers was nowhere to be seen. That put Lily at ease— the other boys usually didn't bother her unless instructed by Henry. As she came closer, she saw that Victor had looked up at her. The brown-haired girl gave Victor a quick glance before hurrying past them.

"So, you're not in last period with us anymore?" She heard Belch ask Patrick.

"Nah, got my entire schedule changed." He answered while holding up a folded paper. The skinny teen smirked as if he was proud of his statement. Belch took it from him and took a look inside. Victor kept his eyes on Lily before she disappeared around the corner, his heart thumping against his chest.

"I'm gonna head to my locker really quick," Victor mentioned before leaving. The two other boys just nodded while they remained in their spot.

As Lily opened her locker, she heard footsteps coming towards her. Her nerves began to rattle. It was now or never. She slightly closed the door to see who was coming and she saw the blond teen. He had his hands in his pockets and he was constantly looking over his shoulder. Lily knew he was probably making sure his friends didn't follow him. When he was sure he was alone with her, Victor leaned against the lockers.

"You really don't know how to take a warning, do you?" He smirked. She knew he was referring to seeing her in the diner last night. Lily couldn't help but chuckle.

"My mom dragged me there." She replied as she closed her locker. "Why did you warn me anyway?" Victor shrugged, dropping his head. Great, now Lily had to start with something else if she wanted to keep the conversation going. "So," she started. Her eyes drifted down to the faded t-shirt he was wearing. "_Metallica_ has their new album coming out in a few weeks."

"Oh, yeah. Belch was talking about that earlier." Victor said, looking back up at her. The change in conversation definitely brought him back— he was even smiling. Lily had to remember that for the next time they spoke. "He has a cassette player in Amy so he's pretty excited."

"Amy?"

"Vic," A voice said from behind the blond teen. Lily froze as she saw Belch walking from around the corner, his eyes looking for Victor. When he spotted his friend, the larger teen walked over. It took him a moment to notice Lily standing there. He looked between her and his shorter friend, a mischievous grin growing on his round face. Belch chuckled, "What's going on?"

"We're talking about _Metallica_." He replied.

"Oh, sweet. You like them?" Belch asked Lily.

"Yeah, I have all their records on vinyl and cassette. _Ride The Lightning _is my favorite."

"Dude, mine too!" The taller boy lifted his hand for a high five, grinning widely. This was so surreal. These boys were certainly different without Henry around. Lily gave Belch's palm a hard smack, making him laugh.

"You should hang out with us after school," Victor said.

_After school? After school?! _Lily was taken back by his suggestion. He couldn't be serious but the look on his face said otherwise. She looked up at Belch who was nodded with him. This was something she never thought would happen. Victor Criss was asking her to hang out with him after school. Even Belch wasn't objecting. It seemed all in good fun but...

"Is Henry going to be there too?"

"Nah, he's sick." Belch shrugged as he leaned over towards Victor, "I went over this morning to pick him up and… _Butch_." The shorter blond just nodded.

"Gotcha," He replied. His eyes looked back over at Lily who was still clutching her book to her chest, "I think Hockstetter has detention too. Dumbass thinks he's invincible or something… It'll just be us three."

"Sounds like fun," she smiled at him. The bell rang throughout the halls, turning the heartfelt moment off.

"Cool, meet us out front after school." Belch said before he walked off. Now, it was only Lily standing alone with Victor. Her brown eyes focused on him, seeing that he was grinning.

"Do you want to walk to class together?" He asked.

"Y-Yeah." Lily blushed.

She followed him as he took the first step. He matched his pace with hers while they parted through a group of kids crowding the hallway. As they approached, the other students became quiet when they noticed Lily walking alongside Victor Criss. The brown-haired girl heard a few murmurs but she kept her mind off of it. She turned slightly, noticing that Victor was looking directly at her.

This was starting out to be a strange day….

* * *

Liliana had gone through the whole day floating on air. It seemed cloudy but her clouds were made of cotton candy and silky blond hair. She just couldn't get Victor Criss off her mind. Lily had even caught herself smiling out of the blue. She had never felt this fluttering butterflies in her stomach but she didn't want to dismiss them. She grew to like the feeling.

All Lily had to do was survive her last class and then she was free.

She turned into the doorway, biting her lip to hold in a girlish giggle. The young girl made her way to the back of the class to see someone sitting at her table and she nearly gasped. Her biology class had long tables with two chairs at each for students to easily pair up. Unfortunately for Lily, yesterday there was an odd number of kids so she was left without a partner… until now.

Sitting there with an uninterested face was Patrick Hockstetter. As she came closer to her seat, he noticed her and he immediately changed expressions. He grinned mischievously at her while she sat next to him.

"Well, well, kitten. Nice to see a familiar face is this boring class." He said as tried to get a look at her face. Lily ignored him by turning away to open her backpack. Patrick licked his lips, definitely liking this lack of attention— or at least he liked that she was trying to ignore him. He yanked on the strap of her backpack, pulling her to face him. Lily's face came dangerously close to his.

"Quit it, Hockstetter." She warned.

"_Make me_." He teased. Patrick chuckled when Lily rolled her eyes. He grabbed his pencil from his pocket and used the eraser end to poke her in the arm. "So, you're hanging out with the boys after class, eh? Too bad I won't be there to join in on the _blowbang_." His green eyes twinkled as Lily groaned, "I'm sure Henry would like to join too but his dad nearly punched his head off last night."

_Butch_.

Lily glared at Patrick from the corner of her eye before continuing to pull out her schoolwork. She could feel him just staring at her. This was really irritating. Lily was always able to ignore the advances of the unusual teen but now she was stuck next to him. She took a quick glance at him, seeing him eyeing her body. The teen girl crossed her arms over her chest and turned away slightly.

"You a virgin?" He asked, his voice loud and uncaring of who hears. A few students in front of them shifted at the question, turning to see who he was asking. Lily growled while looking for an empty seat to steal. Unfortunately, with the students still walking around the tightly compacted classroom, she couldn't see one. Patrick poked her again, this time with his finger. "Sorry, kitten. You're stuck with me."

"What are you even doing here?"

"Uh, trying to get an education." He joked.

"Wasn't your old schedule good enough? Why are you infesting my last class, huh?" Lily was obviously annoyed and Patrick loved it. He leaned forward towards her.

"There were a few… complaints of me bothering girls."

"Gee, I would have never guessed…" Lily sighed. She was happy to see the teacher stand up to start the class. The older man grabbed a single piece of chalk and wrote on the board. There was still a low murmur of conversations still going on in the classroom but the ancient teacher didn't seem to notice… or even care. Whichever it was, Patrick was taking advantage of it.

"Hey, kitten." He whispered to her.

"What do you want, Hockstetter?" She growled back.

"This is what we should do." Patrick said as he lifted up his biology book for her to see. Lily reluctantly looked over and saw he had flipped through the pages to the _Reproduction_ chapter. His finger pointed to an anatomical illustration of heterosexual intercourse. The twisted and disgusted look on her face made him grin.

"Oh, Jesus…" Lily groaned as she rubbed the temples of her head.

"You **are** a virgin," Patrick snickered.

He leaned in closer to her ear. Lily didn't back away, thinking if she held her ground he wouldn't push any further. She was wrong. The taller teen reached down under the desk and grabbed her knee. She had torn jeans so his surprisingly cold hands directly touched her skin. Lily jumped but Patrick roughly pulled her back. Invigorating. He let out a little scoff, his warm breath blowing over the nape of her neck.

"I can help you with that…"

"_Stop_," Lily tried to push his hand away as it creeped up her leg.

Patrick grabbed her fingers and held tightly. He grinned down at her as she still attempted to keep him away. Even if she was trying to separate herself from him, she was still looking down at their hands. She never noticed the rings he wore on his long, thin fingers. Lily glanced back up at him, seeing his green eyes looking directly at her. With an experimental squeeze on her hand, Lily felt herself blush which made Patrick scoff again. He was done playing now. The dark-haired boy removed his hand from her leg and returned to flipping through his biology book. Lily stared at him, unable to process what she was feeling. Her hand rubbed over neck where she felt his warm breath.

* * *

Lily felt her stomach doing somersaults as she saw Belch and Victor standing outside the blue Trans Am. They were talking to each other, not noticing her hesitation while she stood on the other side of the street. This was her last chance to just bail. She could go straight home and do her homework like she always did. She could sit in her room, listening to her sad rock vinyls, while eating leftovers. She could be alone... again.

Or she could surround herself with the boy who occupied her thoughts for the last twenty-four hours. She didn't even have remaining homework for the evening. Her second day of school was boring— up until her last period— so she finished all the work she had and left her backpack in her locker. She felt so light but there was a heaviness in her chest while she stared at Victor. She watched him carry on his conversation with Belch. Lily never noticed how he covered his mouth when he laughed or how he flipped his hair out of his face.

As she remained on the opposite end of the sidewalk, she saw Victor look over. He said something to Belch who also turned to look at her. Belch waved her over with a big grin while Victor leaned against the Trans Am. Lily sheepishly waved back at them before she stepped onto the asphalt. Her dirty sneakers jumped over rainwater creeping towards the sewer drains.

"Hey," she greeted while standing beside Victor.

"Hey," he smiled back.

Lily looked up at Belch, who was eagerly looking between the two of them. With a laugh, he pulled his car keys from his pocket and unlocked the driver's side door. It was quiet besides Belch's grunting. Victor turned to her, taking a moment before speaking.

"How were your classes?" Victor asked Lily while Belch adjusted some things in the front seat.

"They were good up until I saw Hockstetter in my biology class."

"Oh, yeah. He got his schedule changed yesterday before the day was over." Belch mentioned as he pulled up the front seat to allow Lily to climb inside. He gestured for her to enter and she complied. It was a tight squeeze between the door and the driver's seat but she managed to slip in. The backseat smelled like new leather and was oddly clean. She expected it to be messy considering who usually occupied the vehicle but it was spotless.

As she adjusted herself in the soft leather, she saw Victor enter the backseat. She blushed seeing him nearly touch her hand as he settled. Lily noticed their knees touching in the small space but she didn't pull away. It was definitely a spot for only two people.

"Sorry. We're gonna go check on Henry," Victor explained as he crossed his arms.

Belch set his seat back up again before hopping in. He turned the key in the ignition and the harsh guitars of _Anthrax_ blared through the speakers. Tires screeched before barreling down the road. As he turned a hard corner, Lily slid across the leather seat right into Victor. Her hand caught his forearm while her cheek laid across his shoulder. She quickly sat upright and saw herself blushing in the rear view mirror.

"Sorry, Pontiac isn't known for having seatbelts!" Belch laughed over the loud music.

* * *

As they continued down a single dirt road, Lily saw a single house at the end. An old farm. There weren't any animals aside from a few clucking chickens roaming near the front porch. The house was worn, paint fading and showing the brown wood underneath. She then saw the mesh screen door fling open and slam against the wall, scaring the chickens. Lily shrunk in her seat when she saw that it was Henry who seemed very upset.

"What took you so long?!" She heard him shout as he came closer to the car. Belch lowered the loud metal music to barely a rumble.

"Sorry, Henry." Belched apologized as his friend opened the passenger side door. The sandy-haired teen plopped down in the seat. He flipped down the sun visor and fixed a bandage he had underneath his eye. He paused when he saw an unfamiliar frame hiding behind his seat.

"Hockstetter, did you put your hair in a pony—" Henry asked while he looked around the leather chair. He froze when he saw Lily slouched in the seat. She couldn't tell what he was thinking as he looked between Victor and Belch. His icy-blue eyes narrowed at the girl. He reached over and grabbed Victor by his shirt collar. "What is _she_ doing here?!"

"We asked her to hang out, Henry!" Belch explained, trying to loosen his friend's grip off the blond teen. Lily noticed that Victor let Henry just grab at him, leaning his face away to spare himself of punches he knew were to come.

"Why the fuck would you ask the **wetback** to hang out?!" He roared.

"She's cool! Lily likes _Metallica_." Belch lowered his voice in an attempt to calm Henry.

"I don't give a shit if she likes _Metallica_!" The sandy-haired teen let Victor go and turned to lash out at Belch.

Lily felt herself tense up. She had to do something. Henry only seemed to bother her because she was Mexican. He had this burning hatred just because of that one fact her new about her. But what if… she claimed it wasn't true. As she looked over at Victor, who was still adjusting his shirt collar and then to Belch letting Henry punch his thick shoulder. Lily groaned while she shot herself in between them. She held tightly onto his wrist, and that startled him. Henry looked disgusted that she was even touching him. He yanked his hands away while leaning away from the girl.

"I'm not even Mexican, Henry!" She said. Lily grabbed his arm again and held it against her own, showing her fair skin nearly matched his. The teen girl tossed his arm away while she settled back in her seat. "I'm as white as you." She explained. He tilted his head in confusion.

"No, you're not. Your last name is Martinez."

"Heard of adoption, idiot? My real last name is..." Lily quirky glanced down at her shirt of _The Cure_. She looked up again with a cool smirk, "_Smith_. Lily Smith. Didn't you ever wonder why I don't look like my dark-skinned mother?"

Of course she didn't look like her mother. Lily had a lot of her father's features as she grew. Soft brown eyes with matching brown hair and fair skin that glistened like beach sand. Lily knew that Henry didn't know that. No one had ever seen a photo of her deceased father.

It hurt to lie but if this what got Henry to shut up then it would have to be this way. She was enjoying her short time with Victor and Belch— she hopped this would continue even with Henry around. Lily looked over at Victor, who stared back at her in disbelief.

Did he know she was lying?

"O-Oh… good." Henry relaxed. He looked between his two friends while they stared back at him. Their leader patted Belch on his shoulder where he was wailing on him. Bowers sighed, "Fine. She can hang out." His angered expression suddenly changed into something mischievous, "But now I gotta find a new nickname for you since you're not a filthy wetback." He glanced down at her unfortunatly well-developed chest, "Can't call ya _Tits._ That's what we call the new porky kid."

Great. Lily missed the racial hate now that she had a different kind of attention from Henry. Yet, he couldn't be as bad as Patrick. Her reached up to lightly touch that _soft_ spot on her neck. She swore she heard Hockstetter's scoff come from behind her.

"Where'd ya wanna go, Henry?" Belch asked while he started to backout of the dirt driveway.

"Bassey Park," Henry ordered while he sat in his seat correctly. He clenched his fist, "Those _losers_ having been hanging around there the past few days…"

* * *

"So, what did Hockstetter get detention for this time?" Henry asked while Belch cruised down the street surround Bassey Park. He kept his eyes out towards the old Paul Bunyan statue, his fingers tapping along with the metal music.

"The _usual…_" Belch sighed.

"Can't keep his hands to himself," Victor added.

_Hands_. Lily's memory flashed to Patrick's hand on her leg. Her fingers felt over the frayed hole in her knee, remembering his cold touch. She shivered, catching Victor's attention. He looked over at her, his eyes scanning her. Lily gave him a half-grin which he returned.

"There they are!" Henry shouted while he pointed out.

The three other teens all glanced to the left side of the road, seeing four younger kids just peacefully walking down the sidewalk towards the park. Lily sunk in her seat, she recognized that little group. They were one of Henry's favorites to tease. Belch's tires slowed and cruised down the street like a predator stalking its prey. He parked in an empty space along the sidewalk before shutting off his beloved car. Lily could see Henry just bouncing in his seat, itching to get out. They all watched as the group of younger teens settled at an old picnic table near the Paul Bunyan statue.

Henry practically leapt out of his door, slamming it behind him. Belch soon followed, leaving his door open for Lily and Victor exit. Victor lingered behind for a moment to help Lily out of the car. She walked over to the sidewalk, hesitant to follow Henry. Victor stood beside her, making her look up at him. His eyes gestured to his friends which made her stomach churn. He walked ahead of her, letting her choose if she wanted to follow. She watched from a good distance while the four boys sat at the wooden table. Lily sighed while she hurried to catch up with them. She stood behind Victor while him and Belch circled the table.

"Hey, Losers." Henry taunted, scaring the younger teens.

Lily frowned, seeing that a few of the boys already had bandages and bruises most likely from Henry. A taller, curly-haired boy began to shove things back into his bag, knowing he was going to need to run soon. Lily recognized him as Stanley Uris. She knew that Henry liked to pick on him because he was Jewish and soft spoken. His shorter friend next to him started to shake his inhaler. He was Eddie Kaspbrak, a neurotic kid almost everyone pities. Lily had heard that Henry liked seeing him gasp for air after behind punched.

"Sorry, Bowers. This table is taken. You gotta go find another place to make out with your boyfriends." A kid with thick glasses snorted. Richie "Trashmouth" Toizer. Lily knew him too. Who didn't? He was the loudest kid in the entire city of Derry. The three older teens saw Henry tense up and stomp forward towards Richie. However, another boy stepped in between them.

"Le-Leave us al-al-lone, Bowers." He stuttered.

Henry and his friends all scoffed at the boy's stammering. Lily knew Bill Denbrough not only for his infamous stutter but he was also her neighbor. He would ride past her on his silver bike on their way to school, occasionally giving her a soft hello. Lily jumped slightly when Henry shoved Bill into Richie. They tumbled backward onto each other, groaning and cursing coming from Richie's side. Lily saw Stan and Eddie retreat backwards but Belch grabbed Stan by his backpack and flung him into the smaller boy. He hovered over them laying in the grass and burped loudly. Eddie gagged, making Belch laugh loudly. Lily was beginning to feel more and more uncomfortable the longer this torment of the _Losers_ continued. She crossed her arms and tried to look away but then Henry yanked Bill off the grass by his shirt collar.

"Get Tozier, Vic." He ordered the blond.

Without another word, Victor lunged for Richie who was trying to get off the ground. He pulled him up by the back of his unbuttoned Hawaiian shirt and folded it over Richie's head. As he flailed to get his shirt down, Victor swiftly kicked him on the seat of his jeans. The blond chuckled but abruptly stopped when he saw Lily frowning in his direction. Her brown eyes shot over to Bill when she heard the unmistakable sound of a fist meeting skin. She stared as Henry relentlessly punched Bill across the face. It was a few long and agonizing seconds before Henry dropped him. He stood over the younger teen, panting.

"S-S-See you la-la-later, Billy boy." Bowers smirked and made his way back towards the Trans Am. Belch hurried after him, jogging to catch up with his pace. Lily waited until Henry was far away before she walked over to Bill. She held out her hand, offering to lift him off the grass. He was hesitant but grabbed her hand. She wanted so badly to apologize for what Henry did but it wasn't her place. The teen girl saw blood dripping from his nose and Bill quickly place his wrist under his nostrils.

"Lily, are you coming?" Victor asked behind her. She looked over her shoulder, seeing him slowly backing to the Trans Am. The girl turned back to Bill who had walked back to his friends. She saw Eddie unzip his fanny pack and retrieve some cotton balls for Bill to shove in his bleeding nose. Lily left them to their own healing process to join Victor. She slowly walked over, making him tilt his head in confusion. "You okay?" He asked her.

"I... don't know." She dropped her head. Lily jumped at the sound of the Trans Am honking. Victor waved back at Belch, wordlessly asking for them to wait. Her eyes looked back up at Victor, seeing him facing the car waiting for them. She felt awful about what had just happened. She knew Henry was a bully but this attack on the so-called _Losers_ was unwarranted. She wanted so badly to rejoin Victor in the Trans Am but... she couldn't. Not with Henry there. She didn't want to surround herself with him. She mumbled, making Victor look to her. Lily sighed, "I'm going to walk home. I forgot I had some chore that need to be done."

"Oh? Do you want a ride?" Victor asked.

"No, no. It's just a few blocks away."

"Okay..." He frowned, "I'll see you at school then."

"Y-Yeah." Lily faked a smile, "Bye, Vic."


	3. August 17th 1988

Chapter Three: August 17th 1988

* * *

Another nightmare.

But, it felt so real this time.

The Standpipe. The unmistakable stench of sewage. A single floating red balloon. She didn't know why these random things appeared to her nor did she know how to get them to stop. Those same yellow eyes from the night before were there as well— only this time they were closer. Whatever they belonged to spat out the paper boat right at her feet. She remembered the last thing she saw was the wad of paper in a mix of saliva and blood. But the most disturbing thing? It continuously whispered Lily's name in a childlike voice.

What what happening?

* * *

Lily laid in her bed, her alarm blasting next to her on her nightstand. Her hand slammed down on it after a few long seconds. She rolled over, taking in silence for a few moments while her want for more sleep faded. Her feet touched the cool wooden floor, searching around for her slippers. Lily dragged her feet across the room to her dresser when she finally found them. Her hand grabbed the first vinyl record she touched and placed it into her record player. The soft chimes of _Pictures of You_ by _The Cure _filled her room.

That song got her thinking.

She walked over to her closet and slid open the door. Lily pulled a box from the top shelf, dust lightly fluttering down. Her hand brushed off the rest of the dust and she patted it clean on her pajama leg. She set the box on her dresser next to her record player before she lifted the top. Inside were a few old pictures and memories.

Lily's hand reached for a frame laying upside down. She knew exactly what the photo was before she even flipped it over. It was of a younger Lily and her parents at a zoo back in Florida. Her father held her up in front of an exotic bird enclosure while she opened her arms like wings. She remembered that day so vividly. Her mother nearly had her hat snatched by a monkey sticking its arm out of its cage. She remembered sitting on her father's shoulders while she fed a giraffe. It was one of the last memories of him she cherished. Lily smiled as she walked with the picture back to her nightstand, setting it next to her alarm clock.

She returned to the box, curious of what was inside. The teen frowned as she stared down at the dusty old yearbook from last year. Lily snatched it up and flipped to the front page. She was greeted with _Derry High School 1987-1988 _in the ugliest font she had ever seen. She continued to turn the pages, seeing the events of that school year. The Derry baseball team had managed not to be last place between all the schools in the county and that took up four pages of the yearbook. It was ridiculous but it didn't bother Lily. She wasn't interested in sports but she didn't hate the idea. Skipping through some of the pages, she stopped at the _Autographs_ page. There were a few names but that was because the teachers were encouraged to force their students to sign each other's books.

Lily didn't even remember most of the names lazily written in her yearbook.

She shook her head while turning the page. Now she was at the section of everyone's photos, which made her scowl. There weren't a lot of students in the school so every grade were grouped into one going alphabetically. Her finger trailed down unrecognizable names until she got to one she knew.

"Henry Bowers…" She sighed while running her finger over to his picture.

Lily smiled when she saw that her past-self had scribbled devil horns and a crude mustache over his photo. Under the faded ink, she saw he wasn't smiling, the usual Bowers face. She flipped the page again, on the opposite side of Bowers was Victor. His platinum blond hair was shorter and he faced the camera with a half-grin. Lily's fingers tapped on the spine of her yearbook, her eyes looking up from the page to her desk. In a pencil holder there was a fat red permanent marker. She reached over for it and uncapped with her mouth. She held the cap between her teeth while the felt tip hovered over Criss' picture. Without another thought, she traced a red heart around him.

"Uh oh," she mumbled before recapping her pen.

And there it was. The resurfacing of that unknown feeling she had for the blond teen. She already knew that there was something there ever since that first time her stomach tightened. She didn't want to think about it. It was absurd. It shouldn't have been able to happen. But… it did.

Lily had developed a crush on Victor Criss.

"Fuuuuuucck…" She groaned while looking back down at the red heart. That was never going to come off. Lucky for her, no one had to see it. No one had to know that she caught feelings for one of the most feared boys in town. No one. Not even Victor himself.

She slammed the book closed and tossed it back into the old box. Lily turned back to look at the clock on her nightstand and saw that it was nearing the time she usually left for school. She rushed to grab some old jeans and shirt from her dresser. Hopping around her room while trying to pull her tied sneakers over her heel, Lily made her way to her bedroom door.

"Mom!" She called out in the hallway. Lily waited for her mother to answer but after a few seconds she walked out of her room, holding one shoe in her hand. She spotted her mother's door just on the other side of the hallway. It was too early for her mother to be gone already. The teen girl opened her mother's bedroom door and then peeked inside. "Mom?"

Lily shut her door before hurrying to pull on her other shoe. She ran downstairs, jumping off the last step towards the kitchen. The smell of old coffee was still lingering in the air. Lily sighed as she dumped the empty cup her mother left on the counter into the sink. Her mother was already gone— she hoped she could get a ride to school before she went to work. As she turned, she noticed a note on the refrigerator.

_Lily_

_I was called in earlier to work than usual. Big accident. Don't know when I will be home. Leftovers are wrapped up in the fridge. Feed Paloma. Key under ceramic turtle by porch swing. Be home on time._

_Love, Mom._

"So… Mom's gone…" She said to herself, making her way over to the cupboard. On the floor lay her cat's food bowl, empty. She picked it up before opening the cupboard to grab her kibble. Lily smiled while holding both. She gave the box of cat food a good shake, "Three… Two…"

From around the corner, a calico cat came zooming from the living room. The chubby cat bounded onto the counter in front of Lily, mewling and pawing at her food bowl. Lily shook the box, making her cat meow even louder. She dumped the kibble into the little ceramic bowl before placing it on the floor. Her cat jumped down and scurried to her bowl. Lily gave her a good scratch behind her ear while she gluttonously chomped on her food.

"I gave you a little extra to last the day, Paloma. Don't waste it all on breakfa—" Before she could finish her sentence, her cat walked away from the now empty bowl. She glanced on the back of the kibble box, "I wonder if they make diet cat food…"

Lily chuckled to herself while putting away the food and the rest of the things her mother left out. She glanced to the clock above the doorway, seeing that she was now way behind schedule. If she wanted to be on time, she had to leave now. Lily hurried back up to her bedroom, threw open the door, and searched for her backpack. Yet, it was nowhere to be found. When she opened her closet for the fifth time, she remembered that she had stuffed her backpack in her locker. Lily groaned while shutting her closet door. She had forgotten that little thing when she got home last night.

"Ugh… Last night," Lily sighed while walking over to her bedroom door. She took her time down the stairs while her thoughts rushed over her. Bloody nose. Bill Denbrough. Victor frowning. Exiting her house, she walked over to the tiny statue of a turtle on her porch. Underneath was a shiny silver house key when she lifted it. She picked it up and then walked back to her front door to lock it.

The teen girl jumped down the short stairs while hurrying fast on her usual route to school. While halfway down the block, Lily realized that she would have to see Henry and Victor in her first class. They would definitely ask her why she bailed on them yesterday. She didn't even know if she had the willpower not to breakdown at the question. All she could see was Bill Denbrough lying on the grass with his nose gushing blood.

Lily didn't want to see Henry.

However, the _want_ to see Victor outweighed any grudges she held for his dictator of a friend. But was she willing to bury the hatchet just to spend time with the blond? Henry was the most hate-filled person she had ever come across. Was that due to nature or nurture? She remembered Patrick mentioning something about his father almost knocking his head off… and Henry wore the bandages to prove it.

A rumbling coming from behind her made her look over her shoulder. To her relief it wasn't the infamous Trans Am like she feared. She was so jumpy. As she walked on, Lily glanced down at the key in her palm. The thought crossed her mind… she didn't need to go to school. What was one day? It was nearing the start of the day, she didn't want to see Henry and her mother did mention she didn't know what time she would be home. All good reasons to have a day off.

Lily smiled to herself while turning back to her house. Then she saw a blur of silver skid pasted her. She jumped as the tires of a bike halted in front of her. Lily felt herself freeze up as she stared back at Bill Denbrough sitting on his bike. His nose was covered with a huge bandage and a dark purple bruise creeped from underneath. It spread across his round cheeks and under his blue eyes.

"S-Sorry," he apologized while facing his bike in the direction of the school.

"It's okay…"

There was an uncomfortable silence between them for what felt like minutes. That was until Bill's stuttering broke it. Lily watched his lips form the words but his voice hitched. He sighed, probably giving up on what he wanted to say.

"I should be apologizing." She said. Bill's eyebrows arched up in confusion.

"F-For wha-what?"

"Letting Bowers and his friends beat on you and yours." Lily rubbed her arms in embarrassment. She watched as Bill avoided her eyes, still confused. He then looked back at her.

"Aren't y-you his fr-fr-friend, t-t-t-too?" He asked.

"Honestly," the girl sighed. "I don't know."

"Well," Bill started, "sc-school is g-go-go-gonna start soon. It's a te-te-ten m-minute walk. D-Do you wa-want a ride?" The younger teen gestured to the back of his bike. There weren't any pegs on the old thing so she would either have to hold onto his waist or sit on the handlebars. Both compromising positions she didn't want to find herself in.

"Thanks ,Bill, but I was gonna skip school today." Lily said, fidgeting on her feet. Bill nodded while sitting back on his worn bike seat.

* * *

Lily stood beside the stove, watching the kettle start to simmer with the flames under it. She rubbed her arms, feeling the cold nip at her skin. She lowered the intensity of the stoves' flame before she walked off. As she entered the hallway, she noticed the clock on the wall hit six. It was time to feed her cat. Lily clicked her tongue as she walked through her empty house.

"Paloma," she called out and clicked her tongue a few more times. "Paloma!" She would have heard her cat meowing at some point— even she knew when it was time to eat. "Where is she…"

Lily entered the kitchen again and made her way to the full double-door cabinets. She swung one open, searching for the kitty kibble. If her cat wasn't going to listen to her voice, maybe the shake of the box would be persuasive enough. When she grabbed it, she noticed it was lighter than she remembered… and it was knocked over. Lily groaned, knowing her glutton if a cat had gotten into the kibble. She shook the box and heard the pathetic sound of a few pieces hitting the cardboard.

"Well… you had dinner!" Lily shouted into the air, hoping her cat could hear her disappointment. She crunched the box down before tossing it into the trash, "And breakfast tomorrow!" The teen girl glanced down at the cupboard bottom, seeing evidence of Paloma's sneaking snacking. She slapped a hand over her face and dragged it down, sighing loudly. "Now, I have to go out and get some since I don't know when mom is going to be—"

A sudden creaking of wood from upstairs silenced Lily. She froze, hearing it creak again. Her bedroom was just above the kitchen. _Great._ She thought to herself as she reached for a long kitchen knife. _First time I decide to skip school, my house acts like it's haunted. _Lily kicked off her slippers, letting her bare feet walk across the cold floor.

There was another creak upstairs, making Lily hault. There was definitely something in her room. Her feet quickly tiptoed to the stairs and took one step up. She slowly brought herself up the next step. The teen girl kept her eyes in the direction of her bedroom door. It was dark in the upstairs hallway— good thing she decided to close her bedroom door. If someone was trying to break into her home, they would have to open her door to get to the rest of the house. Her grip on the knife tightened as she reached the top of the stairs.

No other sounds could be heard from her bedroom. It was completely silent. She was holding her breath, her nerves on the surface of her skin. Lily was hoping, before she got to the door, that it was just her home alone heebie jeebies getting the better of her. When she got to her door, she gave a small prayer to whoever was listening. With all her might, she swung open the door.

Nothing.

Her room was empty.

Lily groaned, seeing she left her window open and the wind had knocked over her clutter. Notebooks and pencils all over the carpet. She mumbled to herself while she picked up her belongings. The teen girl threw them back on the shelf she had them on, not caring if they were neat. She set down the knife while she reached over to close her window. She took a moment to look out into the neighborhood. The fall season was slowly headed towards the little town of Derry. Some trees were still bright green while others started to turn that beautiful yellow and red. Vibrancy before death. Go out with a bang. Flourish. The neighborhood was quiet.

Then her closet door creaked.

Lily panicked now. Her shaky hand reached back for the knife before swinging herself around. Her closet door was slightly ajar and she could see nothing but black. She didn't believe in monsters in the closet but… she could feel eyes on her.

She nearly screamed when she heard the phone ring downstairs. Lily sprinted out of her room, slamming the door behind her. She leaped over the couch to get to the phone sitting on the farthest end table.

"Hello?" She spoke.

"_Lily? It's Victor._"

"O-Oh. Hey, Vic." Lily turned to look over her shoulder towards the stairs. Nothing had followed her down. "How'd you get my number?"

"_Um… We… I asked that Gretta Keene girl._" He admitted. Lily wasn't surprised. Gretta Keene was that girl that knows everything about everyone. Her father ran the only pharmacy in the town so she had easy access to anything she wanted to know: birthdays, allergies, phone numbers. "_You just weren't at school today and… I was wondering if it was because of what happened yesterday._"

Lily couldn't believe what she was hearing. Was Victor Criss actually concerned with how she was feeling? She didn't think he was actually capable of that. Lily felt herself blush as she thought of an excuse. Of course it was because of yesterday but she didn't think she wanted to tell him that. Would he let her go without another word? What would he do?

"No, I just wasn't feeling well this morning." She lied, "I mean… Yesterday was weird for me… Not that hanging out with you was weird but the whole… I LIKED hanging out with you and Belch… I, uh…" Lily pulled the phone away from her face as she groaned. "Idiot!" She whispered to herself before bringing the phone back, "What Henry does didn't have anything to do with why I wasn't at school."

"_Cool._: Victor sighed. Was that relief? "_What are you doing right now_?" He asked. Loaded question. Lily looked down at the knife in her hand.

"Nothing."

"_Oh. I have today's homework… It's just a reading assignment with a summary review and some easy questions. Uh, kinda offered to bring it to you but…_"

"Offered, huh?" Lily teased, "That was nice of you. You're welcome to bring it over."

"_Ah, cool! Me and the guys were gonna hang out at the arcade for a bit. You can join us if you want to._" Victor added. He sounded hopeful, like he wanted Lily to be there.

"Sounds fun. I don't know when my mother is going to be home from work and honestly being alone in my house is kinda freaking me out." Lily chuckled as she looked down at the knife again. She sat it on the end table beside the phone. "Henry and Patrick are going to be there too?"

"_Yeah, Belch and Henry are headed over to my house right now. We don't know where Patrick is— he kinda ditched us after school. He mentioned something about going over to someone's house. But we did tell him about the arcade so he may join us later._" Victor explained. Lily's eyes narrowed at what he said. Patrick left them to go over to someone's house. Who's house? Who would possibly want Patrick in their home. "_Hey, Lily?_"

"Yeah, Vic?"

"_This is gonna sound really creepy but… I know I live down the block from you. We can pick you up so you don't have to walk._"

"Oh?" Lily snorted, keeping her laugh to herself but she knew that Victor probably heard it. "I didn't know you lived down the block. That's cool. I'll be waiting outside."

"_Cool! Uh, I'll see you in a few minutes then! Bye!_"

"Bye," she whispered before setting the phone down. Lily bit her lip, feeling that fluttering happiness in her gut again.

The fact that Victor made an effort to talk to her was astounding. She didn't think about why she caught his attention of all people. But, she did feel a bit bad for lying. Lily walked back up the stairs to refresh her makeup before she left the house. She entered her bedroom, seeing the clutter just as messy as she left it. That reminded her about the closet door. She turned and saw that it was shut tight. Was it the wind?

Lily stepped over and opened the door, seeing there were some clothes on the floor. Mostly her underwear and bras. She never left those out and especially not on the floor. That was… unsettling.

* * *

"This had better be worth it, Vic…" Henry growled while he lead them into Keene's Pharmacy. The ironically sickening smell of medicine immediately filled their nostrils. The bell on the top of the door jingled as they all entered. The leader's eyes scanned around for that Keene girl. Vic stood beside him while Belch surveyed the shelves. "Nothing really worth stealing in here," Henry said, patting his friend on his thick shoulder.

"It'll be quick," Victor sighed while he headed towards the front desk. Gretta had her nose in a girly magazine but her eyes flickered up to the bullies in her father's store. Curious, she dropped her magazine when she noticed them coming towards her.

"What do you idiots want?" She sneered.

"We have something to ask you." Victor started. He saw Gretta's eyes narrow at him. The younger girl looked between the three boys but eventually gave in.

"All right. What…" She rolled her eyes and popped her bubble gum.

"That girl, Lily Martinez…" Victor started, seeing Gretta's face twist as she tried to remember who she was. After a second she blinked and nodded.

"Yeah, the newish girl. What about her?"

"Do you have her phone number? Like is it written down in your dad's records?" The blond teen asked. He frowned when Gretta laughed and returned back to flipping through her magazine.

"Why should I tell you?"

"Well…"

"Oh, fuck this… Look, girl, give us Lily Martinez's phone number and I'll tell you a bit of gossip. I know that's what you like," Henry spat. Gretta sighed but looked back at him, her eyes like knives.

"I know everything about everyone. What could you possibly know that I don't?" She flipped up her magazine, separating her vision from the three boys.

"It's about Beverly Marsh…" Henry said in a sing song tone. Gretta slammed her magazine down, her eyes burning. Everyone their age knew Gretta had a vendetta against Beverly. The leader laughed, "See?"

"What do you know, Bowers? Tell me," She demanded.

"Phone number first." Victor interrupted.

Gretta groaned but gave in again. She looked over her shoulder, seeing her dad was nowhere around them. The girl opened a file cabinet next to the pharmacy's only phone. She flipped through all the names until she found the one with Selena Martinez, Lily's mom, on the tab. Gretta reaches for a pen and a sticky note and jotted down what she saw. Returning the folder to the cabinet, she then folded the note in half. She held out her hand to Henry but pulled back when he reached for the note.

"Ah ah, tell me about Beaverly first."

Henry glanced over at Vic before turning back to Gretta. He smugly rested his arm on the counter. Victor visibly checked out, only keeping his eyes on the note in her hand. Gretta and even Belch waited eagerly for Henry to speak. The leader softly chuckled.

"I fucked her." He stated matter of factly.

"What?!" Gretta scoffed, the look on her face interchanged between disgust, surprise, and anger. She growled, "When. Where. And why."

"We were exiting school after summer classes and I was sneaking a smoke behind the school. She asked me for a cigarette but I told her to _blow me_ and well…" Henry shrugged, "She wanted more. Carpets match the drapes. Also, she felt pretty loose."

"Holy shit," Gretta shivered in disgust. She threw the note at Henry who caught it in his fist. He handed it to Vic while Belch admired his leader. The girl behind the desk popped her gum again, "I knew Beaverly was an easy lay but… you? That's a new low."

"Thanks," Henry smirked.

"Ew, get out of my daddy's store before I call him to the front." She threatened. The three teens laughed before heading towards the door. Henry knocked over a few boxes of Band-Aids just as he got to the front. He busted through, his lackeys following soon behind.

They all gathered around the Trans Am, Victor mindlessly staring at the note in his hand. Belch and Henry glanced at each other before looking back at their blond friend.

"Hey," Henry barked. Victor's head shot up. The sandy-haired teen leaned on the car next to him as he crossed his arms. He gestured to the note, "And why was that so important to get?"

"I, uh…" Victor looked over at Belch who was grinning. His brows rose, silently telling him to continue. Of course, Belch already knew. The blond turned back to Henry who was waiting impatiently. Victor sighed, "I just wanted to talk to Lily…"

"That's it? You can do that at school!" Henry frowned. He noticed his friend shift his stance and turn away. He thought for a moment, putting the pieces together. The sandy-haired boy started to chuckle. His chuckle soon turned into full blown laughter. Henry howled, "You LIKE her!"

"Henry…"

"Jeez, when did this happen?" He turned to Belch, "Did you know?"

"First time I'm hearing 'bout it." The bigger boy shrugged.

When Henry turned away, Belch nodded to Victor. Of course the blond confided it in him first.

"Well?"

"Yeah… Yeah, I like Lily…" Victor crossed his arms uncomfortably.

"Adorable, our little Vic has a crush." Henry teased while turning to Belch.

Both his friends couldn't tell if he was being malicious— neither of them had ever admitted having an interest in anyone. Of course, they'd talk about banging chicks but that was just sex. Having an emotional attachment to someone else was not spoken about in their group. None of them even had a relationship yet. It was all just who could get the _most_ out of a girl. Not surprisingly, Henry had the most _experience_. Patrick claims to be in second but none of the guys had ever seen a girl take interest in him. Victor and Belch both were open about not being with anyone.

"Well, Vic. She's a cutie, so I'll give you that." Henry started again. "Not a bad choice, considering she's not the Mexican we thought she was." Their leader added. He opened the door to the Trans Am.

"So… you're not mad?" Victor asked, hopping in the backseat through Belch's side. He watched Henry relax in the front seat, taking a few seconds to think about his question.

"Nah, you need some ass anyway." The sandy-haired teen smirked, "But… I have one rule." Henry turned to face Victor, his eyes filled with an indistinguishable emotion. Was he angry even when he said he wasn't? The blond couldn't tell. Even Belch felt the weird vice radiating off of him when he sat in his seat. "And if you break it… you're dead."

"What's the rule?"

"She doesn't come before us," Henry warned.

* * *

Lily locked her front door with the spare key she picked up earlier in the day. Again, she didn't know when her mother was going to be back. Also, that incident in her bedroom still had her on edge. She swears there was someone in her closet. The girl adjusted her hair and glanced down at her outfit before jumping down the steps on her porch.

She heard very loud music playing in the distance, knowing who it was. Her eyes looked down the street, seeing the infamous Trans Am rolling down towards her house. She couldn't help but feel nervous as it slowed to a stop in front of her. She saw Henry in the passenger side, gawking at her as she walked up. He flung open his door and hopped out.

"Well well, feeling better?" He asked teasingly. That tone of his was going to take a while to get used to.

"Yeah," she answered with a smile.

While they stood outside the car, Belch had pulled the seat forward for Lily to get in. Henry took a step to the side, letting her enter the electric blue car. As she crawled in the backseat, she saw Victor looking as nervous as ever. She sat beside him in the cramped backside of the car while Henry took back his seat in the front.

"Hey, Vic." She greeted sweetly. He gave a quick wave before turning to look out the window. Odd. He was acting different now that he was around his friends. Lily had noticed Belch watching them in his rear view mirror. The girl saw him laugh to himself before he said something.

"What's up, Lils? You skipped school." He mentioned while lowering his music a bit.

"Yeah, just feeling a bit…" she glanced at Victor staring out the window and biting his thumb nail. Lily sighed, "A bit weird."

"Well, don't puke in Amy or I'll make you eat it." He laughed before driving back on the road. She could tell he was joking but she wouldn't put it past Belch to keep his word. Belch turned up the music again and stepped on the gas.

Lily looked down at her hand resting on the leather seat. Her fingers comfortably next Victor. Chipped black nail polish on her fingertips inches closer to his. She gently pressed her ring finger on his knuckle, making him slightly turn. He looked down at their hands from the corner of his eye but turned back to the window. The girl felt her heart sink down and began to pull her hand away.

However, Victor wrapped his pinky around hers. Lily felt herself shake while staring back at him. He was trying to conceal his blushing cheeks under his other hand. Lily smiled as she gripped a bit tighter. She felt the wind from the front window whip her hair around but it was exhilarating. The pounding strums of _Judas Priest_ blared in the Trans Am while the teens inside nodded their heads to the beat.

She knew this was where she wanted to be. No matter if Henry was there— Victor's touch was enough to keep her there…

* * *

Notes: Very sorry to those who are even reading this. Some more important things got in the way of writing for a long time. this will update even if it takes a while.


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